Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-t5pn6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T05:51:07.867Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Economic burden of drug dependency

Social costs incurred by drug users at intake to the National Treatment Outcome Research Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Andrew Healey ,
Martin Knapp ,
Jack Astin ,
Michael Gossop ,
John Marsden ,
Duncan Stewart ,
Petra Lehmann  and
Christine Godfrey
Andrew Healey*
Affiliation:
Centre for the Economics of Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Martin Knapp
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
Jack Astin
Affiliation:
Centre for the Economics of Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Michael Gossop
Affiliation:
National Addiction Centre, Maudsley Hospital, London
John Marsden
Affiliation:
National Treatment Outcome Research Study, Nation Addiction Centre, Maudsley Hospital London
Duncan Stewart
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Economics, University of York
Petra Lehmann
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Economics, University of York
Christine Godfrey
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Economics, University of York
*
A. Healey, Centre for the Economics of Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, 7 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8BB
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

The use of illegal drugs is seen as & major social problem. The social costs can be high.

Methods

Self-report data from interviews at intake to the National Treatment Outcome Research Study (NTORS) for 1075 drug users and cost data from various sources were used to estimate criminal behaviour and health and addiction service costs for & 12-month period. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to analyse cost variations.

Results

Total costs for one year for the drug users amounted to over $12 million, the majority attributable to self-reported criminal behaviour. Social costs were positively related to & variety of factors including instability in living circumstances, amount of heroin used and whether or not drugs were taken intravenously.

Conclusions

The study clearly demonstrates the economic and social burden associated with heavy drug users and highlights the need for further investigations into the costs and benefits of policies that can reduce these social costs.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 173 , Issue 2 , August 1998 , pp. 160 - 165
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

†

See related paper pp. 166–171, this issue

References

Akehurst, R., Hutton, J. & Dixon, R. (1991) Review of Higher Costs of Health Care Provision in Inner London and & Consideration of Implications for Competitiveness. York: York Health Economics Consortium, University of York.Google Scholar
Barnea, Z., Rahav, G. & Teichman, M. (1987) The reliability and consistency of self-reports of substance use in & longitudinal study. British Journal of Addiction, 82, 891–898.Google Scholar
Becker, G. S. & Murphy, K. M. (1988) A theory of rational addiction. Journal of Political Economy, 96, 675–742.Google Scholar
Beecham, J. K. (1995) Collecting and estimating costs. In The Economic Evaluation of Mental Health Care (ed. Knapp, M. R. J.). Aldershot: Ashgate.Google Scholar
British Retall Consortium (1996) Retail Crime Costs Survey, 1994/1995. London: British Retail Consortium.Google Scholar
Chaiken, J. M. & Chaiken, M. (1990) Drugs and predatory crime. In Drugs and Crime (eds Tonry, M. & Wilson, J. Q.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Daivi, M. Q. (1988) The Value of Life and Safety: & Search for & Consensus. London: Department of Transport.Google Scholar
Des-Jariais, D. C., Friedman, S. R., Novick, D. M., et al (1989) Infection among intravenous drug users in Manhattan, New York City, from 1977 through 1987. Journal of the American Medical Association, 261, 1008–1012.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drummond, M. F., O'Brien, B., Stoddart, G. L., et al (1997) Methods of Economic Evaluation in Health Care Programmes (2nd edn). Oxford: Oxford Medical Publications.Google Scholar
Elliot, D. S., Huzinga, D. & Ageton, S. S. (1985) Explaining Delinquency and Drug Use. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Gossop, M., Menden, J., Stewart, D., et al (1998) Substance use, health and social problems of clients at 54 drug treatment agencies. Intake data from the National Treatment Outcome Research Study (NTORS). British Journal of Psychiatry, 173, 166–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harkness, J., Glldon, B. & Lstre, G. R. (1989) Outbreaks of hepatitis & among illicit drug users, Oklahoma, 1984–1987. American Journal of Public Health, 79, 463–466.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haverkos, H. W. & Lange, R. W. (1990) Serious infections other than Human Immunodeficiency Virus among intravenous drug abusers. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 161, 894–902.Google Scholar
Home Office (1993a) Information on the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales, Digest 2. London: Home Office.Google Scholar
Home Office (1993b) The 1992 British Crime Survey. Home Office Study 132. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Home Office (1993c) Home Office Statistical Bulletin. April 1993. London: Home Office.Google Scholar
Home Office (1995) Home Office Statistical Bulletin. April 1995. London: Home Office.Google Scholar
Institute for the Study of Drug Dependency (1994) Drug Misuse in Britain. London: Institute for the Study of Drug Dependency.Google Scholar
Netten, A. & Dennett, J. (1996) Unit Costs of Health and Social Care. Canterbury: Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent at Canterbury.Google Scholar
Parker, H. & Newcombe, R. (1987) Heroin use and acquisitive crime in an English community. British Journal of Sociology. 38, 331–350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramsey, J. B. (1969) Tests for specification errors in classical linear least squares regression analysis. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B. 31, 350–371.Google Scholar
Rice, D., Kelman, S., Miller, L., et al (1990) The Economic Cost of Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Mental Illness 1985. DHHS Publication No. (ADM) 90–164. San Francisco, CA: Office of Financing and Coverage Policy of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration, Institute for Health and Aging.Google Scholar
Xie, X., Rehrn, J., Single, E., et al (1998) The economic costs of illicit drug use in Ontario, 1992. Health Economics. 7, 81–85.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.